Find craftsmen near you

This is what awaits you in the“best real estate app“!

• Over 15 industries in one app
• Over 50,000 craftsmen professionals throughout Germany
• Over 500,000 craftsmen reviews

In the app you will find recommendations nationwide for:

• Floor
• Roof
• Electrician
• Facade
• Windows
• Tiles
• Garden & Landscape
• Heating
• Home staging
• Painter
• Awning & Shutter
• Sanitary
• Carpenter
• Solar
• Drywall
• Heat pump

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Craft: Who does what?

Who does what? A brief overview of the typical tasks.

Electrician

The electrician is responsible for the electrical installation in a building. He lays and connects cables, installs switch and distribution boxes, and installs sockets, switches, and lighting systems. The electrician ensures a safe and functioning power supply and takes care of the compliance with the applicable regulations and standards in the field of electrical engineering.

Facade workers

Facade workers have the task of designing and protecting the outer shell of a building. They undertake the plastering, sealing and painting of facades as well as the installation of thermal insulation composite systems. Facade workers not only ensure an aesthetically pleasing design, but also protect the building from the effects of weather and energy loss.

Window manufacturer

Window manufacturers specialize in the manufacture, installation and repair of windows. They take measurements, make the windows according to individual requirements and ensure professional installation. Window installers ensure that the windows provide good thermal and sound insulation and provide optimal protection against burglary.

Tiler

The tiler is responsible for the professional installation of tiles in various rooms. He prepares the substrate, measures and cuts the tiles to fit and ensures that they are laid evenly. The tiler takes care of a neat grout work and provides an attractive appearance of the tile surface.

Garden & Landscape

Gardeners and landscapers are experts in the design and maintenance of outdoor areas. They plan and lay out gardens, design terraces and paths, set plants and take care of the maintenance and upkeep of the greenery. Gardeners and landscapers ensure that the garden is harmonious and appealing and offer customized solutions for the individual needs of customers.

Heating

Heating installers are responsible for installing and maintaining heating systems in buildings. They take care of the installation of boilers, radiators, floor heating systems and other components needed to heat a house or apartment. Heating contractors ensure that the heating system works efficiently and provides a comfortable room temperature.

Home staging

Home stagers are experts in staging properties to facilitate their sale or rental. They optimize the interior design, using furniture, decoration and lighting in a targeted way to make the rooms look appealing and inviting. Home stagers ensure that the property appeals to potential buyers or tenants and stimulates their imagination.

Painter

Painters and varnishers take care of beautifying and protecting the interior and exterior surfaces of a building. They paint walls, ceilings, facades and other surfaces, pre-finish them and select appropriate colors and techniques. Painters provide a fresh, clean, and attractive appearance and help protect surfaces.

Awning & Shutter

Experts in awnings and roller shutters are responsible for the installation, maintenance and repair of these sun protection systems. They take measurements, install awnings or roller shutters on windows, terraces or balconies and ensure that they function properly. Awning and shutter installers provide the desired sun protection and privacy for residents.

Sanitary

Plumbers handle the installation, maintenance and repair of plumbing fixtures and fixtures in bathrooms, kitchens and other spaces. They install sinks, toilets, showers, plumbing, and wastewater systems and make sure they work properly. Plumbing technicians ensure proper water supply and sewage disposal in buildings.

Carpenter

Carpenters are experts in the manufacture, installation and repair of wooden structures and furniture. They make custom pieces of furniture, doors, windows or stairs and install them professionally. Carpenters provide high-quality woodwork and contribute to the individual design and functionality of rooms.

Solar

Solar technicians specialize in installing, maintaining, and repairing solar systems to generate environmentally friendly solar energy. They mount solar panels on roofs or in other suitable areas, install inverters, and ensure proper wiring. Solar technicians ensure that solar systems operate efficiently and help reduce energy consumption.

Drywall

Drywall builders are responsible for the interior finishing of buildings. They erect partition walls, clad ceilings and walls with plasterboard and carry out other drywall work such as installing insulation or filling the boards. Drywall builders create functional and aesthetic room structures and contribute to the flexibility of room design.

Heat pump

Heat pump installers specialize in the installation and operation of heat pumps. They ensure that the system is properly sized, install the heat pump components and connect them to the heating and hot water system. Heat pump installers ensure that the heat pump operates efficiently and contributes to the sustainable heat supply of the building.

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The real estate guru!

What is new? Climate, new construction and renovation

Climate policy has, of course, left a very big stamp in the agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. 177 pages of coalition agreement have now been agreed. A search for the term “climate” yields 198 hits. More than 40 pages deal with the changes for more climate protection. The big goal is climate neutrality.

For example, heating systems are to be operated with at least 65% renewable energies from 2025; regardless of whether it’s a single-family home, condominium or apartment building. Residential construction is to be massively promoted, from the current 306,000 apartments built each year to a total of 400,000 new apartments. An increase of 30.5% in residential construction. This in turn (and other tools such as the rent brake) is intended to “make housing affordable.

The most important facts at a glance: 2022 will see the…

Changes at a glance:

• New construction of 400,000 apartments / year, of which 100,000 public
• Own Ministry of Construction
• Property promotion
• Regional rent limit
• Construction industry and climate protection
• Solar panels on all roof surfaces
• Climate-neutral heat supply: Heating systems
• Charging stations (e-car) expansion

Source: Coalition agreement real estate – Immobilien-Erfahrung.de

New housing construction & building boom: +100,000 apartments annually

The new German government wants to promote a construction boom. To this end, 400,000 new homes are to be built each year, as initially described. Currently, just over 306,000 apartments are completed each year. Accordingly, the volume is to be increased by 30.5%.

Minister of Construction and Ministry of Construction

The Federal Real Estate Agency in particular is to take responsibility for this, with public investment for 100,000 apartments. But according to the coalition agreement, the new federal government wants even more, even creating its own construction ministry with its own construction minister.

Another major problem in Germany, which the German government intends to remedy, is the very long building permit procedures. These are to be simplified so that construction can / may take place more quickly, from new apartments to wind turbines.

New construction and construction ministry at a glance

The most important facts at a glance:

• Ministry of Construction and Minister of Construction
• Federal Real Estate Agency (BImA)
• Construction investments: + 30.5 % or ~94,000 apartments / year
• Building permit: Speed in construction

Rent brake: Regional limitation

One of the most important topics in the new coalition agreement is housing and construction. Rising rents in Germany’s inner cities dominate the headlines, whether online, on TV or in the newspapers. Especially in major cities like Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, affordable housing is becoming a real problem, especially for young families.

There are no signs of a change in the trend. Also your view of the rent price increase of the last years and decades does not let itself prophesy an easing. Even the European Central Bank is now demanding steps from Germany to counteract the general price increases in Germany, there is this morning on Deutschlandfunk.

Development of the rent price index for Germany

Development of the rent price index for Germany in the years from 1995 to 2020 (2015 = index 100):

You can find more statistics at Statista

As described, 400,000 apartments are to be built annually for this purpose, 100,000 of them publicly financed.

Facts about the regional rent brake

You’re probably already familiar with the rent brake from Berlin. The experiment failed, but the rent cap did not. According to the coalition agreement, there will be a regional rent cap, limited to a maximum of 3 years. The rents in this region may then rise by a maximum of 11%, previously it was 15%.

Rent control in the coalition agreement:

1. Rent limit for individual regions
2. Limited to maximum +11%
3. Limited to a maximum of 3 years / region

Promotion of ownership: Increase ownership rate

In general, ownership is to be promoted more strongly. We have already discussed the topic of owner-occupancy in detail, especially in relation to real estate as an investment (rental). Owner-occupation is the most expensive form of housing, but it is still a way of building up wealth for private individuals in the long term. Accordingly, more German citizens are to become homeowners. Primarily naturally in dwellings, finally the sealing of the land surfaces increases ever more. In Germany alone, five hectares of land are sealed every day, e.g. for parking lots, but also for new construction.

This is what the coalition agreement says:

“We want to enable more people in Germany to live in owner-occupied property”

46.5% Ownership rate in Germany

What is the situation regarding the home ownership rate in Germany?

• 2018 – 46,5%
• 2014 – 45,5%
• 2010 – 45,7%
• 2006 – 41,6%
• 2002 – 42,6%
• 1998 – 40,9%

Source: Federal Statistical Office

Solar system: use roof surfaces

Solar installations are again a big topic, for many years many subsidies are provided for it by the state. Now solar systems are to become mandatory for a large part of the construction industry.

Specifically, everything up to the coalition agreement:

“All suitable roof space to be used for solar energy in the future.”

The goals are very ambitious; by 2030, 90% of the electricity is to come from solar alone. Many areas are available for this, just think of single-story supermarkets with their flat roofs or even huge logistics centers.

“For new commercial buildings, this should be mandatory; for new residential buildings, it should become the norm.”

Currently, Germany needs a net amount of electricity produced of 220 gigawatts. Solar energy is expected to cover 200 gigawatts in the next few years.

Target: 200 gigawatts / year through electricity from the sun

Installation, whether single-family house or apartment building:

Climate-neutral heat supply: Heating systems

In the Building Energy Law (GEG), there will be the following changes: Heating systems installed after 2025 must be operated with 65% renewable energy. This will be a great challenge and at the current technical level, especially hybrid systems with solar thermal energy will have to be installed.

Tip. Read more about the “Future” here:

• Low energy house
• Solar energy for the home

In addition, there are a few more detailed changes, especially for conversions, extensions under lines.

Insulation, increasingly important in new construction:

Charging stations: Public expansion & in house

The switch to electromobility, which I have written about frequently here on the blog, will also be very interesting.

The headline is big:

15 million electric cars + 1 million charging stations

15 million electric cars will pose major challenges for the power grid. To supply all these cars with electricity, the German charging network is to be expanded to 1 million charging stations.

Of course, not all charging stations will be public; a large proportion will be installed primarily in houses and garages, carports and underground garages. Fast-charging stations are already being installed in more and more underground garages. According to the current state of technology, electric cars can be recharged in about 30 minutes.

The interesting thing is that in the future, electric cars could be part of the power grid. As decentralized electricity storage. If we increasingly go to solar energy, energy from wind power and hydropower, then energy is not always available in the same amount. We also can’t ramp up a power plant. The batteries of electric cars could be for decentralized storage for our cities in the future.

No tax increases: Top tax rate remains the same

Finally, something good, for all property owners who also rent, the top tax rate was not touched. Nor were there any other tax increases.

Construction loan or real estate loan?

Choose the loan for home financing based on your financing project – The financing methods are similar, but still have some important differences for your financing project. With a classic construction loan, you can finance a new construction project cheaply.

You should bear in mind that the loan is not paid out in one sum, but in tranches per construction phase. For the house purchase of an existing property, a construction loan is therefore unsuitable, so you need another form of home financing.

Choose the loan for home financing based on your financing plan

Frequent questions in counselling interviews are in particular:

• How do I get a home loan?
• How much equity should I put into my home financing?
• What do I need to consider when financing a home?
• What support is available for home financing?

Annuity loans, forward loans or combined financing

You have the option of financing your property via an annuity loan, a forward loan or a combined financing including a particularly low-interest KfW loan. The decisive factor is whether you are a first-time or follow-up financier, when the purchase of a house is on your agenda and whether you want a full repayment loan or a property financing with equity. There is no one-size-fits-all home financing solution for every potential homeowner.

Therefore, we recommend that you contact experts with your request and discuss the topic of home financing based on your ideas, wishes and possibilities. Based on your financing plan, they will create an offer for you, with which you can finance cheaply and with a home loan that suits you.

Tip. All real estate loans at a glance & comparison

Would you like to fulfil your dream of owning your own home, a condominium, a building plot or a commercial property? Then the right choice of real estate loan determines how high the interest burden and thus the total cost of your real estate loan will be. Even when choosing a real estate loan, you as a potential buyer are faced with many questions and considerations, such as whether you should choose a classic annuity financing or opt for another form of financing. Follow-up financing is also possible in various ways. Ultimately, you are faced with the question of whether you are better off with a long and fixed debit interest rate or with a flexible real estate loan.

• Real estate loans

New construction or existing properties

If you are buying a new building, you are well advised to take out a fixed home loan with no additional scope for modernisation or energy-efficient refurbishment. Based on the value of the newly built property, you can take out an annuity loan secured by a land charge. With a fixed monthly instalment, you are well advised with this solid home financing and benefit from the fact that there is no change during the period of the fixed borrowing rate.

If you would like to finance more flexibly and not be tied to a long-term interest rate when buying a house, there are other house financing options. The attractiveness of an offer is determined by the match of the financing to your ideas and your personal wishes regarding the repayment and fixed interest rate.

Real estate agent & your advantages through experts

Real estate agents with many years of experience offer you the advantage of financing your new construction or existing property purchase project in the best possible way and opting for a worry-free and cost-secure term.

If your heart beats for a charming existing property and the need for modernisation is prevalent, they will be happy to advise you on home financing with a connected modernisation loan. Hardly any other type of loan offers as much scope as real estate financing. If you want to fulfil your dream of a house and need help in the jungle of financing options, you are on the right track with good brokers. They will help you find the right financing method and benefit from an offer that underpins your decision to buy a house with the advantage of tailor-made home financing.

Home financing: How much equity is advisable?

We recommend that you include existing equity in your home financing. With an equity ratio of between 20 and 30 percent, you can secure some interest rate advantages.

Equity ratio between 20 and 30 percent

Your equity lowers the net loan amount and the term, making you “debt free” much faster with your own capital investment. With a good credit rating and other collateral, it is possible to fully finance a house without any equity at all.

We will be happy to find out whether home financing without your own financial commitment is suitable for you as part of an initial consultation. You can obtain an initial overview of the conditions under which we can support your project with home financing by requesting a quote for real estate financing.

Equity means a better return

If you have equity, you should not push for full repayment in favor of a better interest rate and pay longer and more that way. It is understandable and a wish of many of our customers to hold back a small amount of equity for unforeseen repairs or purchases.

Acquire existing property & modernisation

If you are purchasing an existing property and are planning a modernisation or want to ensure greater energy efficiency, you can ask us directly about home financing with scope for the desired craftsmen’s services. We know from experience that such a combined home financing is more favourable for you than a real estate loan, which you apply for without equity at a much higher interest rate.

Calculator: rate, repayment rate, residual debt

What will your planned construction financing cost you? But much more important in everyday life, how high will your monthly burden be and what happens if the repayment rate changes later? How high will the remaining debt be at the end of the fixed interest rate? Many questions, this rate calculator gives you all the important answers to rate, repayment rate and residual debt.

• Rate calculator

Overview of state funding

• Financial support for modernisation or purchase of real estate
• Promotion of energy-saving technologies
• The amount of the subsidy is variable
• English – “state promotion

Back to the wiki: Real Estate

Alternative energies – types, tasks & their importance

Up to now, energy in the EU has mainly been generated from fossil fuels, such as coal or oil, and to a lesser extent from nuclear fuels. Alternative energy sources, such as solar energy, hydroelectric power or wind power, have so far played a rather subordinate role. Yet these renewable energies are the future. What are their tasks, what are the different types and why is it so important to use alternative energies for energy production?

• Keyfact 1 – alternative energies are the future of energy production and must be further promoted and improved in the coming years
• Keyfact 2 – Fossil fuels are slowly running out and will sooner or later be depleted and no longer usable

Alternative energies – why are they so important?

The production of energy with the help of nuclear fuels has clearly more disadvantages than advantages. The nuclear waste that is produced during energy generation cannot yet be converted into an ecologically safe form using any technology. So the waste will always be a burden on the environment. The risk of nuclear power plants and nuclear waste repositories is therefore too high and additionally associated with extremely adverse consequences in the event of the release of large quantities of radioactive material.

But fossil fuels also have some disadvantages. Probably the most devastating is the bad impact on the environment. The burning of coal, oil and gas produces CO2 emissions that are proven to increase the greenhouse effect. The consequences are natural disasters and a steadily progressing climate change. But also security-relevant aspects are directly recognizable in the oil age with the permanent oil and gulf crises. The economic risks caused by oil have a direct influence on the world economy and regularly cause economic crises. The most important reason why fossil fuels do not represent the future of energy production is the time span of the fuels. They are non-renewable and will run out in the foreseeable future. First oil, then natural gas, and coal last. Sooner or later, fossil fuels will be used up and will therefore no longer be able to provide a source of energy.

The solution should therefore be renewable energies, which are not only environmentally friendly, but are also eternally renewable and therefore cannot be consumed. Solar energies (water, biomass, wind, solar thermal and photovoltaic) therefore show many advantages. There are closed cycles, the CO2 is spared and also with regard to the national economy the alternative energies rise. The consumers of renewable energies are not only independent of large energy companies, but also create new jobs in their own country and achieve positive effects on the balance of payments and actions. The environment also thanks us, because after decades of damage with CO2 emissions and nuclear fuels, we fall back on the basis of nature and exhaust the given possibilities.

Renewable energies – hydropower as an energy supplier

The generation of energy from hydropower is a method that is not very common so far. Nevertheless, there are some advantages to using energy from this renewable resource. The energy conversion happens here with a very high efficiency, which meant that a high percentage of the energy used can be converted into electricity. In addition, the energy production from hydropower does not release any pollutants and therefore does not harm the environment and the waste heat is also very low.

The use of these alternative energies will therefore continue to improve and spread as long as they are economically feasible and economically justifiable. Because a disadvantage shows up also here. The construction of a hydroelectric power plant usually interferes with the ecological balance of the watercourse, which is very sensitive. The planning of such a plant is therefore not necessarily easy and requires a great deal of specialist knowledge and a certain ecological orientation.

Hydroelectric power plants use the gradient of a body of water, usually a river. The flowing water is taken from the natural riverbed and directed through pipes or channels to a turbine. The water causes the turbine to rotate. The rotation generates electricity, which is converted into usable energy by a generator.

Renewable energies – wind power as an energy supplier

Energy can also be generated from wind power. For this, however, the wind must have a certain strength. In coastal areas, the wind is usually stronger, which is why more wind farms are being built here. Off-shore wind farms, which are built in the sea near the coast, also use these high wind speeds. In order for wind to be used sensibly for energy generation, it needs a speed of four to five metres per second.

Different wind turbines are used to generate energy from wind. On the one hand, there are wind turbines with 12 to 24 blades. These are mostly used for direct mechanical energy use, for example to drive water pumps. Probably the best known, however, are the wind turbines with two or three blades, which can often be seen in fields or on the coast. They generate direct alternating current through rotation and a constant speed via a generator. The rotor blades are specially designed to withstand all conditions and still work effectively.

Renewable energies – solar energy as an energy supplier

Solar energy is probably the most widespread renewable energy to date. Both as a solar system on rooftops and as solar parks on open spaces, you see solar cells again and again. The solar cells make use of the energy of the sun and convert it into usable energy. Here, a distinction is generally made between solar systems and photovoltaic systems.

Solar systems use the energy of the sun and convert it into usable heat. A solar system can therefore be used, for example, to operate heating systems in the house. For this purpose, houses are specially planned so that the sun contributes as much as possible to the heating of the house.

Photovoltaics, on the other hand, uses the sun’s energy to convert it into electricity. Photovoltaic systems are also installed on the roof for this purpose, which can capture the solar energy and convert it into usable energy for the household. This can be used to generate electricity in the house and run machines.

It makes most sense to use both systems in combination, as the household is then no longer dependent on large energy companies and all the energy for their own home is produced themselves. The advantages are enormous and the environment is protected by such houses very much. The optimal use of solar energy requires quite a bit of prerequisites the advantages compensate for this, however. Learn more about solar energy and the use of renewable energy in our great guide to photovoltaics!